Forces
by zuko4ever1477
Summary: In a world where benders are hunted down and exterminated, only the bravest can survive. AU.


**Katara, 2007**

Our village is a small one. No one wants to live in a place so cold. For as long as even Gran-gran can remember, we've survived on the ice, hidden from the rest of the world. But that suits us just fine.

That's because there's bender in our blood.

Of course, the benders were rounded up a long time ago. I was told, growing up, of a time when the Water Tribe was full of them. A time when we had lived freely among the Others. Those people haven't even got the essence of a bender. I think they're jealous, really. Because one day, they turned on us. They declared that people who could defy nature's will were freaks. They decided we didn't deserve to exist. And so they started to exterminate us.

There were still enough Waterbenders in the Tribe when we came south. As far south as we could go. This place, a beautiful but unforgiving land of white nothing... I've lived here my whole life. But even here isn't safe anymore. It never was.

The Firebenders came to finish what the Others had started. Almost a hundred years ago, they took our benders away. They told us we'd simply been too obvious, that now there was nothing for it but to be exterminated in the hopes of preserving the rest of us. It's not like that, though. We all know the truth. The Firebenders have started something beyond even the slaughter of benders. The Firebenders have started a war. And they're about to win.

Now, my village has lost hope. I've never known anyone who could bend the air itself- and now I never will. The Fire Nation is ruthless. I may never know a Waterbender either: our Tribe is now empty of them. Now the villagers are so desperate, they might turn in one of our own to escape the Firebenders' wrath.

I wonder how many of those villagers know the secret. That there's still one left.

I'm not sure if Dad even knows what I am. But Mom knows. Mom always knows.

She understands why I stay out on that frozen wasteland until I've pushed myself to the very limit. She understands why I watch the tides till dusk and look to the moon till dawn. Understood. Because now, she's gone forever.

The Firebenders did that. I hate them.

And now Dad's leaving too. Not forever, I keep telling myself, but it's not working. I've memorized his face, in case I never see it again. He and the men of our village are leaving to help in the war. They won't be obvious, since they're not benders, but they're still at risk. The Others have developed technology that helps them find anyone with the blood of "Forces". That's what they call us. Forces of nature that shouldn't exist. They lost the reason somewhere along their years of searching for us, but they won't stop for anything. Forces must be exterminated to restore balance.

_Balance_. It's ironic, almost. The Avatar gone and never reborn, killed along with his fellow Nomads. If he was here, I think things would be better. I know it.

I'm here, with Sokka now, watching the boats sail away. He holds the flashlight high, hoping to get a few extra seconds with our dad still in view. He can't.

I miss Dad already, and I stay at Sokka's side long after the ships have disappeared from view. He's my brother, and the only real family I have left.

The rest of my village may have lost hope a long time ago, but I never will. I know the Avatar will come back. I just hope he's not too late.

* * *

**Zuko, 2007**

My father banished me today.

I'm still unable to wrap my head around it completely, but touching my face is a fair enough reminder.

I've always looked up to Father. He's so brave and powerful and cunning. The Fire Nation has a great leader in him. No other benders would dare live among the Others, and yet he's hidden in plain sight. All of us are. The Firebenders, at least. We're such an _obvious_ part of their society they don't even check us. Great-grandfather was so clever to put our family on the map before they invented that technology.

Sozin Enterprises is the perfect cover story. Besides, hanging around these people has given us some useful insight into their machinery. We've far surpassed the other Nations in that respect.

Father says the other Nations are far too arrogant and flaunt their bending in front of the Others. They risk uncovering all of us. I'm glad he decided to eliminate them. Otherwise, we might have been found.

But I've gotten off-track. I'm not part of that anymore. I'm not a piece of that collective. I'm a stray now, an outcast. And they _will_ find me.

I don't know what to do. I've got a giant burn on the side of my face. It's pretty obvious. Not many Firebenders live outside the Integration Plan arranged by Fire Lord Sozin, so they may not notice me at first, but they'll learn how to seek out Fireforce soon enough. I'm using the terms of the people who want to kill me. Pathetic.

He would never have done it to Azula. She's clever, fearless, a Firebending _prodigy_- and I hate her for it. But Father didn't do this because he hated me. He wanted to teach me. I needed to learn respect. And besides, isn't the capture of the Avatar one of the Nation's most important priorities?

Not when he's disappeared for a hundred years. Not when Azula was born lucky and I was lucky to be born.

Maybe he does hate me.

What did I do to deserve this? I've always been the perfect prince, haven't I? Father even allowed me to come to the business meeting. _Azula_'s never done that. I spoke out of turn. That's all. I was angry, though. Maybe I made something obvious. Maybe I alarmed those stupid Others who were sitting mere feet from the greatest Firebender in history.

I know his prowess firsthand. He did this to me.

I'm well-aware that we destroyed the foolhardy Airbenders, who defied gravity and showed their abilities openly, a long time ago, and also that the Avatar was never reborn into the cowardly Water Tribe, the ones who ran and hid at the ends of the earth. But I think he'll come back. I know he will.

He has to.

**okay, so there's the first chapter! don't worry, it's not going to be a complete retelling of the story or anything, just had to set the stage. think of this as a prologue. so, in this story zuko will join them early on, so will toph, and iroh wasn't traveling with him at all, though he might pop up later in the story... only time will tell. that's about all else you need to know. this is my first AU fic, so please R&R to tell me what you think! I'M BEGGING YOU! next chapter will be up soon!**


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